Notching Joists To Sink Cables

[ikearns]

Afternoon All

Am looking to tidy the cellar and this will include taking down the current ceiling which is only hardboard nailed onto the floor joists of the room above. As a recent extension was added, the electrician simply ran the cables over the surface of the ceiling covering and cable tied and pined them up - they are tidy but are somewhat exposed.

My plan is to remove the current ceiling and install a few LED lights but I will also be wanting to put these cable runs into the ceiling space therefore can I notch out the bottom of each joist to accomodate the cables and then put a metal retainer to hold the cables in the notch and protect them once the ceiling goes back up??

If the cables were being run and the joists exposed then I am sure we could have drilled in the middle of each joist but doing that now would mean cutting each cable and reattaching with some sort of connector box.

TIA

Ian

 

[bernardgreen]

can I notch out the bottom of each joist

You can but notching the bottom of a joist will significantly weaken the joist, much more than the same size notch cut into the top of the joist.

 

[rsgaz]

can I notch out the bottom of each joist

No!

https://www.dacorum.gov.uk/docs/def...-of-joists-may2011.pdf?Status=Master&sfvrsn=0

You'll need to add strips of wood to the underside, leaving a gap where the cables are.

 

[ikearns]

You can but notching the bottom of a joist will significantly weaken the joist, much more than the same size notch cut into the top of the joist.

So would the preffered solution be to cut each cable and then reconnect with the cable being run through a hole in the middle of the joist. Also not sure relevant but the floor joists are original in a house built in 1902.

 

[ikearns]

No!

View attachment 162356

https://www.dacorum.gov.uk/docs/default-source/planning-development/22---guidance-note---technical---notching-of-joists-may2011.pdf?Status=Master&sfvrsn=0

You'll need to add strips of wood to the underside, leaving a gap where the cables are.

As adding to the bottom of each joist will ultimately reduce standing height in the cellar and I barely have enough at the moment then it looks like I will have to approach this from a cut and reconnect cable.​

 

[ikearns]

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